Overkill
by AnneAlysse
Summary: Cal Leandros thought he was the only one of his kind, the only half Auphe in the world...That is, until he met her.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I sat on an expensive-looking black sofa in an expensive-looking apartment, wearing an expensive-looking violet silk robe. It was a big step up from the alleyway I had been huddled in only a few minutes ago, completely naked and shivering in the chill of one of the cooler spring nights, but I was still shaking. I was scared, damn it, and I had been ever since I woke up in that alleyway half an hour ago with absolutely no idea who I was, where I was, or why I was wherever I was.

"I found her alone in an alley a while ago," the nice lady that had brought me into her home said to the blond man at her door. Her name was Promise. Promise Nottinger. I had caught her scent when she first found me, and something in my mind clicked, telling me she was a vampire. I wasn't afraid of her, though. That same something that had clicked in my mind before had also been kind enough to let me know that vampires weren't necessarily the enemy.

"She seems fine. Why did you have me come over?" Promise's blond friend asked, his gray eyes just as calm as they had been when he arrived five minutes ago.

"She can't stay here, Niko," Promise answered simply, her purple eyes emotionless.

"Why? You seem to have everything under control," Niko stated.

When the vampire next spoke, she lowered her voice so only Niko could hear her, not realizing that I could hear her, too, seeing as my hearing was abnormally good. "I'm not sure what she is. Your brother might be able to tell, though." She omitted the fact that I freaked her out for some reason, but that was made obvious by the slight uneasiness I could see in her eyes whenever she glanced back at me.

I tore my own eyes away from the woman and gazed down at my dirty, snow-white hands. I had no idea what my face looked like or anything, but I knew that I was dirty, freakishly pale, quite tall, and malnourished-looking. Oh, yeah. And my chest was huge. Can't forget that.

"You want me to take her back to my apartment to allow Cal to smell her, then?" the blond man said questioningly.

Becoming both curious about my own appearance and a bit frightened by the conversation Promise was having with Niko, I silently got to my bare feet and strode silently into what was obviously a bathroom.

Peering into the mirror, I cocked my head, my light pink lips parting slightly at the sight. My hair was straight, falling to my waist in one silky, albeit messy, black wave. My right cheek was bruised and my whole face was dirty, just like the rest of my pale, scarred body. The scars...Not even bothering to look at my eyes yet, I let the robe Promise had lent me slide to the floor in the soft rustling of silk.

I grimaced at my body's condition. Sure, I had big boobs that any guy would drool over, a nice hourglass shape, a decent ass, but I was just, for lack of a better term, hideous. Four faint lines ran across my stomach, going directly from one side to the other. Marks identical to these were all over my legs and arms as well as several nasty-looking bruises. Turning around and peering over my shoulder, I found that my back wasn't much better. Luckily, my face had only that one bruise. Deciding it was time to study my eyes, I turned back around and leaned over the sink for a closer look.

Red. They were dark red.

Was that a normal eye color?

For some reason, I didn't think so. Maybe that was why Promise wanted me to leave.

I heard someone heading in the direction of the bathroom door, so I swiftly put my borrowed robe back on and turned away from the mirror.

"Niko has agreed to take you," Promise informed me when she appeared in the doorway, her brown hair spilling over her shoulders and standing out against the white shirt she was wearing. I nodded and followed her silently when she walked back to where that tall blond man stood at her door.

We stopped just shy of the doorway itself, and I began to take the robe off, but Promise held up a hand to stop me. "Keep it," was all she said. I blushed the slightest bit and nodded, then went out the door with Niko after he and Promise had said their goodbyes, neither of them paying any attention to my bare, cut-up feet.

We ended up walking back to Niko's apartment in silence after he told me he didn't currently have a car. I somehow managed to keep myself from shivering and being jealous of his warm-looking black coat.

When we finally entered the apartment, I looked around curiously. It was tidy and clean for the most part, but I could smell Auphe all over the place. My brow furrowed at the thought. An Auphe...What the hell was an Auphe? I simply shrugged off the unfamiliar word and moved so Niko could come in. He did so quickly, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Cal," the man called, sounding ever-so-slightly irritated.

"Yeah, Cyrano?" a voice yelled back from another room.

"Why was the door unlocked?"

"Because I forgot to lock it," the unseen guy answered, unperturbed.

Niko shook his head disapprovingly even though Cal couldn't see him. Before he could say anything, though, a black-haired boy rushed into the room. "I smell Grend-" The guy fell silent when he saw me, his gray eyes widening.

"So she's a Grendel, then?" Niko said questioningly, his eyes never leaving me.

"No. Only half, like me." Cal cocked his head, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Who is she?"

"I don't know. She doesn't, either."

Both of the males fell silent at that point, and I blushed, looking from one staring man to the other. Then came Cal's interesting question. "Should we give her a name, then?"

Niko's gaze finally wandered to his brother. "I suppose so. She might remember her name sometime in the future, but we can't just call her 'Nameless Girl' until then."

"Okay. So, what should we name her?"

"Ebony," Niko suggested just as Cal said, "Ruby."

Then, in unison, the brothers said, "That sounds like a name for a cat, not a person."

They fell silent once again, both studying me and trying to think of a fitting name.

"Isabella," Niko said after several moments of silence, "the main character in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure."

"I like it," Cal stated, nodding. "We can even shorten it to Bella if we get tired of saying it." He then looked over at me. "Do you like it?"

Blushing more just because someone was paying attention to me, I nodded and finally spoke. "Yes. Thank you for naming me."

"You're welcome," Cal said with a smile before looking at his brother. "She's probably going to need some clothes."

Niko nodded in agreement. "I'll go buy her some now. I doubt she would be comfortable shopping in some of your old clothes." And with that being said, the blond man exited the apartment, leaving me alone with Cal.

Caliban gazed at the TV for a moment, then looked over at me with a smile. "Wanna watch some TV?"

When Niko returned an hour later, he found me on my knees in front of the TV, watching Animal Planet calmly as Cal stared at me sleepily.

"Did you know that the cheetah has the ability to accelerate from zero to sixty-eight miles per hour in just three seconds?" I asked the blond, my red eyes never leaving the television.

Cal arched an eyebrow. "The show on cheetahs ended a half hour ago. How can she still remember that?"

"Photographic memory. The Auphe always liked to watch me play Simon." How I remembered that, I could not fathom. Almost as soon as I recalled that memory, though, it disappeared from my mind. I blinked slowly, looking over at Niko, who was standing in the doorway, a department store bag in each hand. "What did I just say? I..." My brow furrowed in confusion and worry as my eyes fell to the floor by my knees. "I can't remember."

Cal looked surprised when something close to a sympathetic wince crossed his brother's face.

The man's calm, emotionless expression returned a split second later, however, and all he said to me was, "Don't worry about it. It was nothing important." Those two bags he was carrying hit the floor right in my line of sight suddenly, causing me to jump slightly. "Cal will help you find something suitable to wear to bed. You do sleep at night, right?"

I looked up at him and shrugged helplessly. "I can't remember." My gaze dropped to the floor once again as I added softly, "I apologize."

"It's not your fault," Cal stated, picking up the bags his brother had just put on the floor. "Now, come on. Let's get you dressed." He then turned and headed to the bathroom.

I looked up at Niko, not sure if I should really follow. He shrugged nonchalantly and walked into the kitchen, clearly telling me to go. And, like the good little girl I was, I got to my feet and went after Caliban silently.

"Wow. He actually bought you underwear," Cal snickered, holding up a pair of nice black undies when I entered the well-lit bathroom behind him. A full laugh escaped him when he pulled a matching black bra out of one of the bags resting on the back of the toilet a moment later. "Holy crap," he said, still laughing a little. "They look like they'll actually fit, too."

I looked at the two garments uncertainly, and his laughter stopped, being replaced by a look dangerously close to pity.

"You do know how to put these on and everything, right?" he asked, that slight look of pity still in place.

I looked away, blushing, and he knew the answer instantly. "Sorry."

"It's no problem. I'll just have to help you," Cal said with a shrug, still holding the dark undergarments. He stepped toward me, then gently pulled away from the door and closed it behind me. "Okay. Turn around and take off the robe," he said once he was facing me again.

I did so slowly, nervously. I only grew more nervous when I heard Cal's sharp intake of breath.

"Ouch," he murmured, moving a bit closer to me with a grimace. He turned away after a moment and I heard the sound of tags being removed from the clothing I was supposed to wear. "Okay. This is a bit a awkward." I felt him shift behind me, trying to figure out how he was going to do this without seeing or touching anything that should not be seen or touched. It would've been amusing if I wasn't so damn shy.

After five more minutes of silent debating for poor Cal, I finally said, "I can try to do it myself."

"All right. Here ya go." He gladly handed me the bra when I reached back for it.

I managed to get as far as the whole clasping the little hooks part. "Um..." A shudder ran down my spine when I felt Caliban's fingers brush my alabaster skin as he helped me.

"Honestly," he muttered to himself as he worked. "How the hell do women get into these things, anyway?"

Soon enough, he was finished, and I found that the bra fit almost perfectly. Next, the half-Auphe handed me the underwear. I managed to get those on all by myself, much to Cal's relief.

"Okay. Now for the actually pajamas," he said while beginning to dig through one of the department store bags. "Well, it seems the closest thing to pj's Nik got for you is this." He held up a pair of black shorts and a black tank top with spaghetti straps. Both looked like they'd be incredibly tight.

_Damn it,_ I thought, eyeing the clothing. _I should've known his size-guessing skills were too good to be true._

I managed to slip the shorts on without Cal's help. They were comfortable, but a bit tight, just like I thought they would be. Cal, the little perv, seemed to like them, though, so I just ignored the tightness and moved on to putting the shirt on.

I actually needed help at that point.

Caliban, being the nice guy he is, helped me get the tank top on, sliding it on over my head with ease. His fingers brushed against my stomach as he pulled the top straight, and I shuddered again. That strange something in my head told me I liked being touched so much because I rarely had any contact with humans.

"There," Cal mumbled, taking a step back to study me as I faced him, looking at the ground and blushing. "Now all we need to do is get you cleaned up a bit. I'll help you take a shower tomorrow." He led me over to the sink, wet a washcloth with warm water, then began to gently wipe the dirt off of my face.

As we stood there, facing each other, Caliban intent on his work, I examined him.

He was a little bit taller than me, slightly darker, and he had hair I wanted to touch really, really bad.

So, of course, I impulsively reached out and ran my hands through his longish black hair.

His hand stopped moving as his eyes darted to mine, which were focused solely on his soft hair.

It took me a moment to realize that he was staring at me, but when I finally noticed, my face flamed and I quickly pulled my hands back.

"S-sorry. I just..." My face only turned redder. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Cal replied, beginning to clean my face again without another word.

Soon enough, I was all clean. The dirt on my face, arms, and legs was gone, revealing even more nasty-looking bruises.

"There," Cal said while taking a step back and dropping the grimy washcloth in the sink. He looked me over quickly, then nodded in approval. "You look better than before." He poked my ribs, hidden by my shirt, gently. "You still look malnourished, though. Let's get you something to eat before we go to bed." He then turned an walked out of the bathroom with me in tow, feeling odd now that I had some actual clothes on.

"Hey, Cyrano," the black-haired half-human greeted his brother when we entered the kitchen. Niko was sitting silently in a chair, staring down at the table. When he didn't reply, Cal waved a pale hand in front of his gray eyes. "Nik? Are you in there?"

"Yes, little brother, I am," Niko replied, continuing to gaze down at the table.

Cal could tell that something was wrong. "What's-" A meaningful look from Niko shut him up quickly, and he instead spoke to me. "What do you want to eat?"

I shrugged. "Whatever there is to eat, I guess."

Cal turned and rummaged in a cupboard, then the refrigerator, then another cupboard, feeling my and Niko's eyes on him the entire time. He didn't comment on our staring, though, as he eventually ended up with a couple of plates, a jar of peanut butter, and a few pieces of white bread sitting on the counter before him. "Peanut butter sandwiches it is, then," he sighed under his breath while grabbing a butter knife and beginning to make the sandwiches. "We really have to go to the store soon, Niko," he added, speaking a bit louder now so his brother could hear him.

"Yes, I know," was Niko's calm reply as he eyed the peanut butter with distaste.

It took under a minute for Cal to make my sandwich and hand it to me along with a plate.

I cocked my head down at the food and quietly said, "Thank you," before sitting down at the table and starting to eat my sandwich neatly. I might have been pretty much raised by the Auphe, but I still had some decent manners. Wait a minute...

My brow furrowed for what had to be the billionth time that day. _Raised by the Auphe? I was raised by the Auphe?_ Sadly, I never got a chance to fully process this surprising fact before the memory mysteriously disappeared from my mind, leaving me thoroughly confused.

Both of the brothers noticed my perplexed expression, but neither of them commented on it. They simply stared at me, Cal doing so while sitting down across from me with his own plate full of sandwiches.

"So, bedtime?" Caliban said questioningly once we had both finished our food.

I nodded silently and watched as Niko picked up our plates and put them in the sink.

"All right." Cal grinned. "You can take my bed."

I looked over at him, my red eyes widening in surprise. "N-no. You keep your bed. I'll sleep on the couch or something."

"No you will not." That black-haired piece of uber-sexy man got to his feet with a stern expression on his pale face. "You're a guest here. You deserve to be comfortable, and the couch is anything but."

"B-b-but, I don't want to be a burden," I stammered, my cheeks reddening as I copied Cal's movements and stood.

"Taking my bed when I tell you to doesn't make you a burden." Before I had the chance to object, the boy turned and strolled out of the kitchen. "Come on."

Not knowing what else to do, I followed silently, pouting because I hadn't gotten my way.

Next thing I knew, I was passed out on a messy bed, hugging a Cal-scented pillow like there was no tomorrow and probably drooling quite a bit, too. But don't tell Cal about that. I mean, come on. He wouldn't like sleeping in another person's drool if he _knew_ about it, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?

Yeah. Right.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I awoke the next morning at about sunup to the sounds of a hushed conversation in the kitchen.

_Damn, my ears are good,_ I thought groggily while sitting up on Cal's bed, allowing the slobber-covered pillow I had been clinging to all night to rest on my lap as I listened to the distant murmurs of Niko, Cal, and an unfamiliar man.

"Even an amnesiac could be a major threat, and I say that assuming this girl is a real amnesiac and not just a good actress," that unfamiliar man stated warily.

"She looked like she'd been abused by them or something," Cal told the guy quickly. "I don't think she's lying to us about not remembering anything."

I could almost feel the unknown male grimace. "So she was probably their plaything for a while, and she was freed when the rest of the Auphe went down."

"Do you think she's trustworthy?" Niko asked, stoic, as always.

"I'd have to meet her to know," came the strange man's reply. I could smell him from clear in here, and my sleepy brain informed me that he was a puck or a pan or something.

"Well, you're in luck, Loman," Caliban said brightly. I heard a chair scrape across the floor as he stood casually. "It seems our pretty half-Auphe princess is awake now."

My red eyes widened. _How the hell did he know that?!_ A bit of pondering gave me an answer. _Niko probably figured it out first, and in turn, Cal noticed it as well._ I knew their names even though they had neglected to introduce themselves because they said them to each other quite often, which I was betting they knew.

I shoved the pillow off of my lap and got to my feet, listening to some more chairs scraping on the floor as I headed out of the bedroom.

A wolf-whistle greeted me when I entered the kitchen, and I sent a tired glare in the direction of the man that had done it.

It was that guy I didn't know, of course. He had wavy brown hair, a look on his face that made you just wanna punch him, and some of the prettiest green eyes I had ever seen.

"Oh. Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," the puck remarked lightly, smirking at my pissy expression before letting his eyes rove over my voluptuous body, which only caused that pervy smirk to grow.

Both of my black tank top's spaghetti straps had fallen from my shoulders, making my black bra straps even more visible. That was the only thing that had changed since last night. The shorts were still too short, the shirt was still too tight, and it still felt incredibly odd to be wearing actual clothes.

"Shut up," was all my tired, seemingly sleep-deprived mind could come up with for a comeback.

The man simply sighed and looked over at Cal and Niko, both of whom were standing. "What did you say her name was again?"

"We call her Isabella," Niko answered calmly.

"Ah. Pretty name," the brunette mumbled while turning back to me. He then raised his voice a bit so I could hear him better. "So, you don't remember anything at all about yourself or your past, Isabella?"

I shook my head. "No. Things do come back sometimes, though, but then I forget them almost instantly." I smiled sheepishly at the man as I felt my usual shyness take the place of my bitchy mood. "Sorry for snapping at you."

"It's fine," the man said with a small smile. "I'm Rob Fellows, otherwise known as Robin Goodfellow, by the way." His green eyes drifted back to the brothers. "She's trustworthy."

"Are you sure?" Niko questioned.

"Yeah. You aren't just saying that because she charmed you with her good looks, right?" Cal asked sarcastically.

I flushed. _He's called me pretty twice now._

"Of course I'm sure," Goodfellow said indignantly, sending a glare in Cal's direction. "It's obvious she's not lying. She really doesn't remember anything."

"How do you know?" Cal inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"I just do. When you've been around for as long as I have, you have to be able to tell who's lying and who's not in order to survive." Robin looked me over again, this time ignoring my gorgeous figure and instead wincing at the sight of all those yellow-tinged bruises. "They really did use you as a toy, didn't they?"

Seeing my look turn sullen, Cal decided to step in. "I suppose it's time for you to shower, then." He gently took my hand and quickly dragged me to the bathroom.

Through the closed door, I could hear Robin ask, "Do they shower together often?"

Now that we were in the bathroom, Cal didn't seem to know what to do. "Um...Do you want me to...um...Can you shower by yourself, or do you really need help?"

I blushed. "I-I think I can take a shower by myself." I couldn't remember how a shower worked, really, or if I had ever even used one before, but I really didn't want to be a burden to the poor guy.

"'Kay," the half-Auphe said with a nod. "Your clothes are in the bags right there beside the sink. I took the liberty of cutting the tags off of them last night after you went to bed, so you shouldn't have to worry about anything but putting the clothes on properly."

"All right." I gave a small nod of my own, and Caliban simply nodded again before walking out of the room and closing the door quietly behind him.

I stared at the door for a moment, then turned and cocked my head at the shower. _Huh...Wonder how it works..._

Half an hour later, I was out of the shower and drying myself off. _Well, that wasn't so hard._ Sure, I had burned myself a few times and nearly frozen to death at one point, but once I had it all figured out, it was easy. I had even figured out how to shampoo my hair without nearly blinding myself and shave my legs without cutting myself too much. This led me to believe that I had once lived among the humans. I didn't know when, why, or for how long, but I had. Random little things continued to pop into my head, things only a human or human-raised person would know, like how to shave and what to do with the conditioner. Someone raised solely by the Auphe probably wouldn't have a solid understanding of such things.

I soon finished drying myself off, leaving me to eye the clothes hesitantly.

I let the green towel I had been using fall to the floor as I walked over to the bags and kneeled beside them. I began to rummage through one of the bags quietly.

_Hm. I think Promise might have been more involved in this than Niko,_ I thought while pulling a cute black skirt out of the bag. Next I found a black top with off-the-shoulder sleeves and let that fall to the floor along with the skirt. _Did she think black was my color or something?_

I grabbed a pair of black underwear and a strapless black bra, somehow managed to get them on by myself, then set to work putting on the skirt. Once I had completed that mission, I put the shirt on.

Looking around the bathroom, I realized that there wasn't a mirror in sight. I simply shrugged and looked down at myself.

The skirt was pleated and loose, flowing to just above my knees. The shirt was tighter, showing off my malnourished physique and a bit of cleavage. I didn't think I looked too bad. Then, I noticed something while gazing down at my bare feet.

I still didn't have any shoes.

Hell, I didn't even have any socks at the moment. Ah, well. I'd live.

I found a brush in the cabinet and used it to brush my still-wet, long black hair.

Once that task was completed, I put the brush back and walked silently out of the bathroom.

"Shoes. You didn't buy her shoes, Cyrano," Cal pointed out when I entered the living room, where all three of the men were sitting.

Niko glanced at my feet for only a moment before looking at his brother and saying calmly, "No, I didn't."

"We can't take her out like this," Cal stated.

"Yes, but she wouldn't be going out even if she did have shoes."

I seemed to be missing something...

"Oh, come on, Nik. It's not like something's going to jump out of the shadows and eat us."

"That's actually a possibility."

Caliban sighed, annoyed. "No, it's not. And even if it was, I can take care of myself."

"Yes, I know. But can you take care of her, too?"

Niko's words caused Cal to fall silent. Goodfellow had been quiet the entire time, simply watching me while the argument went on. Several minutes passed before the puck finally decided to break the silence.

"I think you should go buy the girl some shoes and let Cal show her a good time. They both deserve to relax a little."

"How can they relax if they're being chased by something far larger and deadlier than they are?" Niko questioned, his ice cold eyes trained on Goodfellow.

Robin shrugged casually and leaned back in his chair. "They can both take care of themselves. If worse comes to worst, Isabella's Auphe blood might get the better of her, and that'll guarantee her safety. If she doesn't attack Caliban, then he'll be safe as well."

Now Cal looked confused. "Her Auphe blood can get the better of her?"

"Of course. You can smell that, can't you? She's more Auphe than human, thus making her more likely to snap and start tearing things into little bitty pieces," Goodfellow explained.

"Would she actually turn on Cal if she were to...change?" Niko questioned, studying me once more.

"No! Of course I wouldn't!" I went wide-eyed at the loudness of my own light voice. My cheeks reddened once again, and I stammered, "S-sorry," but Goodfellow ignored my apology and smirked slightly.

"There's your answer."

The slightest hint of irritation flickered through Niko's gray eyes, but it passed quickly, leaving his voice just as calm and even as always. "Fine. I'll go buy her some shoes. No one leave this apartment until I get back." The expressionless man got up and left without another word.

With his brother gone, Cal was able to somewhat rudely ask, "What could cause her to go berserk on us?"

"A lot of things." One of the puck's lecherous smiles appeared on his handsome face. "One of these things might just involve a bed, lots of nudity, and a gorgeous man." His green eyes darted from Cal to me. "Can I find out?"

"No," I said, disgusted.

"God, no," Cal agreed, equally disgusted.

Goodfellow sighed and slumped in his seat. "Jeez. No one ever lets me have any fun."

"And for good reason," Caliban muttered, shuddering at the naughty images popping into his head.

When Niko returned, he found me watching as Cal attacked Goodfellow with a pillow.

"You sick bastard!" the youngest male in the room shouted, repeatedly smacking the oldest with that poor, abused pillow.

Robin was laughing too hard to defend himself. "I was just kidding. There's no need to get so worked up about it."

At Niko's questioning glance, I said, "Something involving me, the puck, and Cal." I shivered, trying not to gag. "Don't ask."

"I don't intend to," Niko replied grimly. He handed me a couple of bags, each one with a single black shoebox inside. "Those are courtesy of Promise. I'm no good at shoe shopping."

I took the bags with a small, grateful bow. "Thank you."

I sat in the center of the vacant couch, putting one bag on either side of me. I pulled out one of the boxes and opened it cautiously. Inside was a pair of strappy black heels that looked like they'd fit me perfectly. I took them out of the box and slid them on, smiling slightly when I found that they did indeed fit me perfectly.

I set the empty box aside and put the other one on my lap. After opening it, I found a pair of simple black sneakers. These, too, looked like they'd fit me just right. I arched an eyebrow at the color, though.

"Does Miss Nottinger think I look good in black or something?" I asked, picking up one of the tennis shoes and finding a few pairs of plain white ankle socks beneath it.

"I suppose so," Niko answered with a barely noticeable lift of his shoulders.

I stuffed the boxes back in their designated bags with a soft sigh, then waited for Cal to stop beating Goodfellow with that pillow. He did so soon enough, dropping the pillow and sitting down on the couch beside one of my bags.

"You really are sick, Loman," the exhausted teenager stated, closing his eyes.

"Yes, I know. It's a gift," Goodfellow agreed with a grin.

"Whatever." Caliban opened his eyes and stood after a moment, then looked down at me. "Well, now that you have shoes, wanna go take a little tour of the city with me?"

I blushed, which I seemed to be doing constantly, and stood. "S-sure."

The boy smiled and offered me his arm. "Shall we go, then, milady?"

I took the proffered limb and nodded silently, my blush deepening.

Cal's smile only grew as he led me out the door. "This should be fun."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Before truly beginning that grand tour of the city, Cal took me to one of the nicer diners in the vicinity for breakfast.

Pancakes and bacon, as I soon found out, were utterly delicious.

Caliban watched me with an amused expression as I ate my breakfast like I was starving, which, in a way, I kind of was. He sipped his coffee silently, having already had breakfast.

I blushed when I finally noticed that his gaze was locked on me. I wiped a bit of maple syrup away from my mouth with a napkin, trying to ignore the feeling of his eyes on me.

"So, where are we going to go first?" I questioned softly once my food was all gone.

Cal shrugged and chugged the last of his coffee before saying, "I'm not sure yet." His look turned thoughtful. "Hm...Central Park might be a good place to start."

And so, that's where we went.

Cal walked through the park, acting casual even though he obviously found being around me quite awkward.

"You don't have to do any of this if you don't want to, you know," I told the man softly, noticing the tenseness of his shoulders. "We can just go back to your apartment so you don't have to be alone with me. Or, better yet, you could just leave me here and go back to your apartment."

When Cal looked back at me, he found me staring at the ground sadly. "What? Why would I do that?"

"I'm a burden. You don't like being with me. Therefore, I should just go away so you and your brother can be happier."

The man's gray eyes narrowed, only a small fraction of his anger being truly directed at me. "You are not a burden, I don't not like being with you, and making you leave won't make us happy." He couldn't resist adding, "We can't be happy until Goodfellow is gone."

I looked up at him shyly as he glared down at me. "If you don't not like being with me, why are you so tense?"

That actually seemed to catch him by surprise. "Tense? I'm tense?"

I nodded. "Very much so."

"Oh." It took him a moment to figure out what I was talking about, but his shoulders soon relaxed and he said, "Sorry. I get like that whenever I'm alone."

"You're not alone. I'm here."

This made him look like he wanted to slap himself. "Goddamn it. Sorry. I just-"

"You don't think I'll be able to help if we're attacked or anything." I shrugged. "I don't blame you. I'd feel the same way if I were you."

"You would?" Now the poor guy just looked confused.

I nodded slowly and turned away from him. "Yep. I mean, I am just a scrawny little girl who can't remember if she knows how to fight or not, after all." Before he could reply, I gently took his hand and said, "Now come on. We still have an entire city to wander through."

He smiled gratefully at me and began to lead the way through the park again, not pulling his hand from mine, but also not gripping mine in return.

We wandered around the city for quite a few hours, heading home at around sunset.

"Thanks for showing me around today," I said quietly after about ten minutes of silence, staring down at my hands, which were clasped together in front of me. "It was fun."

"No problem. I thought it was pretty fun, too," Caliban agreed with a small smile.

I smiled the slightest bit in reply and opened my mouth to speak, but before I got the chance to say anything, I noticed a movement in a dark alley to my right. I stopped dead, not even noticing when Cal did the same.

"Auphe," I breathed, but my companion caught it. Either that, or the thing's scent gave it away.

Cal swore colorfully for a moment, then mumbled to me, "They're all supposed to be dead." Another movement in the alleyway caused him to take my arm and yank me forward with more force than he had probably meant to. "Come on. If it's an Auphe, we have to get out of here." He turned and began to run, dragging me right along with him.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Cal snarled to himself softly. Apparently, he could hear the single Auphe following us, too. It skittered along behind us quietly as we dashed up a nearly deserted street. Huh...That was...odd...You didn't come by deserted streets often in a crowded city like this...I decided not to worry about it, though. I had more important things to deal with at the moment.

Something snagged my arm when we passed another dark alley, and I could smell that it was the creature chasing Cal and me.

It gave my arm a tug that forced me back a few steps, causing Cal's fingers to slip from my other arm. With a quiet growl that didn't sound too human, I pulled my arm away from the Auphe, not even flinching as its long claws tore through the pale flesh of my wrist.

I felt Caliban's hand firmly grip my own once again, then we ran. The Auphe didn't follow.

I glanced back at what had once been our pursuer curiously, wondering why it wasn't chasing us anymore.

It stood there in the dim light of a nearby lamppost, grinning to reveal deadly teeth as it slowly licked some of my blood off of its claws. Then it stepped back into the darkness of the alley, leaving me utterly confused.

We soon reached the apartment.

Cal knocked on the door, trying to be calm and not pound on the flat surface. "Niko, it's us."

The sound of numerous locks being unlocked could be heard, then the door open and Niko was standing there, looking at us. His gray eyes went from his panting brother, to panting little old me, then to my bleeding wrist.

Before he could say a word, Cal pushed past him and pulled me into the apartment while saying, "Auphe. There was an Auphe chasing us."

"An Auphe?" Niko didn't look the slightest bit surprised. "What did it want?"

"Her!" Cal yelled as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He held my wounded arm up so his brother could see it better and said, "It wanted her!"

Niko watched my warm red blood drip to the floor calmly. "So their species is not yet entirely extinct. This could prove to be quite problematic." He studied both me and Cal silently for a moment, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face, then he said to Caliban, who was still holding my arm up, "You're sure they were after her, not you?"

The younger of the two males nodded. "Yes."

Niko nodded to himself, still looking as though he was deep in thought. "Do you have any idea why they might want you?" This time the question was directed at me.

I shook my head while replying, "No."

"They must have some use for you. Or, more likely, they want to exact revenge on either you or Cal."

"They?" Cal said questioningly. "What do you mean 'they'? There was only one Auphe."

"It is highly unlikely that only a single Auphe escaped that warehouse when it went down. If one made it out, there must be at least a few more." Niko had yet to lose his cool. It made me a bit jealous...He was all calm, cool, and collected, and I was obviously panicking...on the inside. And, even more obviously, on the outside as well.

"So there could be a whole army of Auphe after me?" My voice was no more than a terrified squeak as I gazed up at the blond, far too calm bastard, my red eyes wide and fearful. "Or..." I gulped. "Cal?" I didn't want them to be after Caliban. From what I could tell, he and his brother didn't deserve to have to deal with the damned Auphe anymore.

Niko shook his head. "Not an entire army. Just three or four survivors."

Caliban's gray eyes narrowed as he finally got involved in the conversation again. "How can you be so sure? There could be thirty of the little monsters running around out there for all you know!"

"If there were that many left, little brother, then why would only one Auphe come after Isabella?" Niko asked, his own gray eyes narrowing in response to Cal's glare.

"I don't know! Maybe they just thought she would be an easy target that one Auphe could handle!"

"You do have a point, I suppose," Niko admitted grimly. "Besides, after what happened to them the last time they were all assembled together in one place, they might not want to endanger their species any further by grouping together in what could possibly be a dangerous situation."

"Exactly!" Cal agreed, nodding once again while continuing to hold my wrist up.

"Um...Cal?" I said shyly, staring at my arm as blood made dark red streaks across my pale flesh, then silently fell to the floor in tiny droplets.

"Yeah?" The boy looked over at me, and I just stared at him. It took him a moment, but he eventually got the picture and let my arm go with a simple, "Oh. Oops."

Niko sighed and shook his head at his brother with patient amusement. "Come on, Isabella. We should get that cleaned up."

I nodded and followed the man to the cabinet in which all of his medical supplies were kept, continuing to watch my blood hit the floor even as I walked.

My own blood fascinated me...

How creepy is that?

Three hours later, my wrist was all clean and bandaged and I was sprawled on Cal's bed, staring up at the ceiling like I had been for the past two hours and fifty-three minutes. I knew for a fact that Niko was lying in his own bed in his own room, sleeping, while Cal sat in the living room, having offered to take the first watch.

The Leandros brothers were a couple of paranoid bastards, but I understood their feelings on the matter quite well, for I, too, was a paranoid person.

That's what caused me to write off the strange sound I heard a moment later as nothing more than my imagination.

I decided it was actually a real noise when it came again thirty seconds after the first sound had died away.

It was a soft rustling noise beneath the bed, followed by the sound of something sliding slowly across the floor.

My breath caught in my throat, my eyes widening in fear for the second time that day. I was frozen, unable to move with my thoughts one messy jumble of questions and odd conclusions.

The sound ceased, only to start again after no more than five seconds.

What the hell was crawling around under my bed, and why the hell was it allowing itself to be so noisy?! Was it an Auphe that thought I was asleep where Cal and Niko couldn't hear it, or was it simply a mouse that was trying to steal a sock from under the bed?

Sadly, the former sounded far more likely than the latter, and I swallowed when I realized this, trying to quash my growing panic.

_Just calm down, Isabella,_ I told myself mentally. _It's probably just a mouse._ A pale head covered in colorless hair peeked out from under the bed, and I couldn't help but add, _A really, really big mouse with way sharper teeth._

The red-eyed monster crawled completely out from under the bed and turned to grin maliciously at me, revealing those sharp-ass teeth I hated so much. A shrill, high-pitched shriek escaped me as the thing lunged, claws heading for my stomach while razor-sharp teeth moved toward my throat.

Everything suddenly seemed to be moving in slow motion. My eyes locked with the Auphe's. Short, broken fingernails lengthened into long, sharp, deadly claws. My own teeth became more pointed, although the change was only truly obvious in my canine teeth, which became bone-piercing daggers. Something changed inside me. Reason left the building, and primal instinct took its place, along with a change in my demeanor that made me go from shy, innocent girl to blood-thirsty, sadistic monster in a matter of seconds.

Before the attacking Auphe was less than a foot away from me, I rushed right back at it, ignoring Cal's sudden call of "Bella!" and the feeling of Niko's deadly presence in the room.

Everything began to move at a normal speed once my strange transformation was completed. By the time the event was all said and done, I had the Auphe pinned to the floor, my pointy teeth a mere inch away from the beast's face.

"Hello, O distant relative of mine," I said in a voice that sounded too smooth and seductive and taunting to be my own. I cocked my head down at the snarling creature, causing my black hair to brush against its white cheeks lightly. "Have you come to entertain me?"

"N-Niko...Her eyes are glowing," Cal stammered from where he stood in the doorway, apparently trying to win the title of Captain Obvious. I had to give him some credit, though. Most people would've run away, screaming, by now. This side of me knew that. The fact that he was just stating fairly obvious things was a step up from that. Besides, seeing a pretty girl, wearing a black tank top and a pair of black shorts that only made her sexy ass look even sexier, pinning an ugly beast like this damned Auphe to the floor in such away was probably going to make him have some naughty, creepy as hell nightmares later on.

Yeah. Letting him have a moment to spout obvious facts was an act of kindness in a situation such as this.

The Auphe growling on the floor beneath me managed to free one of its arms and lash out suddenly.

Before his deadly claws even had time to near my throat, I had my own claws slicing through his throat.

Dark Auphe blood spattered all over the carpet, walls, and surrounding objects, including Cal's bed.

"Oopsies," I muttered while watching the Auphe's head roll across the floor. I turned my psychotic little grin to Cal and Niko, who were still standing by the door. Then, with a quiet, creepy giggle, I said, "I think I broke him."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

I slowly got to my feet, my grin only growing when Cal took a shaky step back, his eyes wide. Niko simply watched me, not a hint of fear showing in those pretty gray eyes of his.

There was a knock on the door, but all three of us ignored it.

The door opened, followed by a quiet call of "Niko? Caliban?"

The next sound to reach us was a lot of swearing from Goodfellow.

The door slammed shut and swift footsteps headed toward the room.

"Hello, Mr. Goodfellow," I greeted the puck casually when he appeared in the doorway behind Niko and Cal. I ran my tongue along one of my blood-covered claws before adding, "It's nice to see you."

The man's green eyes went from me, to the decapitated Auphe, to the Auphe's head, then finally back to me again. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing," I answered with a shrug.

Silence fell over the entire room at that point, being broken a moment later by Cal's soft, questioning voice. "Isabella?" He took a step toward me, seeming almost confused as he watched me lick some more Auphe blood off of my claws.

"Cal, no!" Robin called. But it was too late.

I lunged at Caliban, who was now out of his brother's reach.

I stopped suddenly, a foot away from what was supposed to be my prey, a single clawed hand outstretched and ready to strike. I couldn't make myself move any further.

Something inside me changed again as I stared into Cal's eyes. The real, innocent, amnesia-ridden me broke through.

"Cal, get back. Don't come near me," I told him, my voice once again soft and shy and fearful. I still couldn't make myself move, though.

"Just calm down, Isabella." My lava-like red eyes darted to Robin as the puck took a cautious step forward. I began to hyperventilate when I saw the fear in this brave man's expression.

"I...I can't," I stuttered, honestly trying to calm myself down, but finding myself unable to do so.

"Yes, you can. Just take deep, slow, even breaths and fight whatever it is that's trying to make you hurt Cal," Robin instructed softly while taking another step toward me.

I gave a single jerky nod, which was all I could manage at the moment, then closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing as well as the battle I had going with my other side. I lowered my arm slowly as my breathing evened itself out, then I opened my eyes.

Cal heaved a sigh of relief. "Good. Your eyes aren't glowing anymore."

Both Niko and Robin relaxed along with the younger Leandros brother, Niko less so than the other two. That poor bastard never seemed to relax much...

I took a moment to study myself. My teeth were no longer frighteningly pointy and my claws were once again normal, albeit slightly ragged, fingernails.

I fell to my knees suddenly, my slender body being racked by sobs as tears streamed down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, burying my face in my hands. "I'm so sorry."

I felt someone's arms wrap around me hesitantly a few seconds later. Breathing deeply, my sobs subsiding, I found that this someone just happened to be Cal.

"It's okay," he stated, awkwardly patting my back. "It wasn't your fault."

"Thank you, Cal," I murmured, snuggling into him. My weird little change and battle within having exhausted me, I ended up falling asleep, safe in Caliban's embrace.

-----

"She wouldn't let my arm go last night," I heard Caliban whisper when I woke up the next morning. Whether it was a lie or not, I wasn't sure, but some weird girly emotion had me hoping it was a lie.

"Right," Niko replied in a tone that led me to believe my wish had been fulfilled.

I realized I did have a hold of Cal's arm when I finally became more alert, but I was betting I hadn't been holding the limb hostage all night. My lips twitched into a tiny smile. Cal was laying beside me, holding me with his free arm. I could tell all of this without opening my eyes.

"What? It's true!" Caliban said, probably glaring at his brother.

Niko sighed and dropped the subject. "Your room is clean." I listened as he headed toward the door, casually adding over his shoulder, "Thank Goodfellow for helping with that sometime, by the way," before he was gone.

_That's why it smells more like Niko in here. We're in his room_, I realized.

Sighing, I opened my red eyes and looked up at Cal. He was currently glaring at the door his brother had just vanished through, muttering about how no one ever believed him, even when he was telling the truth.

"Oh. You're awake," he said, seeming startled when he looked over and saw me staring at him.

I nodded slowly, blushing as I released his arm. "Good morning, Cal."

He quickly let me go and got to his feet. He turned away, and I was pretty sure he was attempting to hide his own reddening cheeks.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?"

I sat up slowly and nodded, looking down at myself, pleased to find that I was fully clothed and there wasn't a speck of Auphe blood on me anywhere. "Yes. How about you?"

"Yeah," was the half Auphe's simple reply.

"That's good." I fell silent for a moment, then I asked, "Did I really refuse to let go of your arm, or did you just make that up?"

"I just made it up," he answered, his blush deepening.

I cocked my head, confused. "Why?"

He shrugged, looking down at the floor. "I thought you might end up having nightmares or something because of what happened, so I figured it'd be better if I stayed with you to make sure you were okay."

My eyes widened. "R-really?" When Cal nodded, I felt my cheeks warming once again. "Th-thank you."

"You're welcome. Now," he turned back to me, having somehow managed to make his blush go away, "let's go get some breakfast. I'm starving." He walked out the door, and I instantly got to my feet and followed.

The two of us ended up eating some of the pancakes Niko had made earlier, neither of us making a sound as we sat there at the kitchen table.

Then, rather abruptly, Cal asked, "Do you remember anything?"

"What do you mean?" I questioned, my head slowly tilting to the side in a gesture of confusion.

"I mean, do you remember anything from your past that you couldn't remember before?" the boy elaborated while gazing at me intently from his spot across the table.

I pondered the question for a moment, then shook my head. "No. Everything is still pretty much the same."

"Okay." Caliban gave a short nod before returning his attention to his food.

"I see you've found the pancakes I made for Goodfellow," Niko's voice stated suddenly from behind me. With a loud shriek that was muffled by the forkful of pancakes I had just shoved into my mouth, I whipped around instinctively, my hand reaching for his throat, only to be grabbed by him and squeezed gently.

I swallowed my pancakes and blushed, softly apologizing. "Sorry, Niko."

The blonde released my hand and said simply, "It's not your fault. It was merely a move driven by your Auphe side's instincts."

"Jesus, Nik. You shouldn't sneak up on someone as jumpy as her while she's eating. She could've choked to death or stabbed you in the eye with her fork, and we wouldn't want that, now, would we?" Cal told his brother while using his fork to maneuver another few bits of syrup-covered pancakes into his mouth.

"I highly doubt either of those would happen, Cal," Niko stated calmly.

"So, where are those pancakes you promised, Niko?" Goodfellow asked as he entered the kitchen. "Oh," he muttered, frowning. "They got to them, first."

"Sorry, Goodfellow," Cal said, not sounding even the slightest bit sincere. "I didn't know they were for you."

I got to my feet and picked up my half-empty plate of pancakes. "H-here you go, Mr. Goodfellow," I stammered, holding my plate out to the puck and habitually lowering my eyes. "You c-can have what's left of m-mine, if you wish."

"It's all right, Bella," Robin told me, his tone uncharacteristically gentle, just like it always seemed to be when he spoke to me. "I was just kidding. You can have them."

I went back to my spot and began eating silently once again, hoping no one noticed that I was blushing madly.

"Anyway," Goodfellow said, his tone going back to normal, "I only came back here because I noticed something strange in the park. Niko wouldn't let me just tell him about it, so instead I have to show you what it is." He sighed. "Hurry up, pancake stealers. I want to get this over with as soon as possible. I have a meeting to go to in an hour."

"What kind of meeting?" Cal asked around a mouthful of pancakes.

Robin smirked. "You don't want to know."

"Indeed, we don't," Niko agreed.

Cal and I quickly finished our pancakes, then we followed Niko and Goodfellow out the door, wondering what the hell we were being taken to see.

-----

"Where'd it go?" Goodfellow was staring at a tree in Central Park, looking puzzled.

"What was it?" Cal asked, his gaze going from Goodfellow to the tree and back again.

"A strange symbol of some sort," was the vague response. "Maybe I was just imagining it..."

"No," Niko said quietly, looking at another tree. "You weren't imagining it."

We all turned to face the tree the older Leandros brother was staring at, all of us having different reactions when we saw it. Goodfellow looked almost happy to see it, saying, "Oh. There it is," Cal appeared to be confused, and I somehow managed to be shocked, frightened, and a little bit pissed off all at once.

I stumbled back, my eyes widening as I studied the blood red, jagged symbol painted on the tree. It roughly resembled a 6, and I didn't like it one bit. "No," I whispered while watching that symbol flash through my mind in the form of several brief, buried memories. All of these memories consisted of this number appearing somewhere on my body, whether it be burned into my leg or carved into my arm. "No. I won't become that again. I won't become no more than a number!" I screamed, falling to my knees and putting my hands over my ears.

A movement to my left caught my eye, and I turned to find a cloaked Auphe heading out of the park and into an alleyway, obviously trying to remain unseen by the others as well as the rest of the humans in the area.

I lurched to my feet and snarled, "Oh, no you don't. This ends now." I took off after the little monster, and the others hesitantly followed me.

After being led down several deserted side streets and a few back alleys, I found myself in the alley I had most recently encountered an Auphe in. The Auphe standing before me in the shadows at the opposite end of the passage allowed his cloak to fall to the ground at his feet.

"No," I muttered when seeing the doorway to Tumulus the son of a bitch was creating. "Hell no." I lunged at the Auphe, but more of the creatures emerged from the slowly growing gate before I could reach him. They grabbed my arms and legs and anything else they could reach, holding me still even as I struggled. "Let me go!" I cried, fighting harder despite how futile my efforts were.

"No! Isabella!" Caliban shouted from the alley's entrance behind me.

The gateway seemed to be big enough now, and I was being forced toward it. Niko pulled a single blade out of a sheath hidden beneath his coat, but it was too late. Half of my body had already been shoved into the gate.

I somehow managed to free my arm. I reached out to Cal just as he reached out to me.

"Cal," I whimpered as the tips of my fingers brushed against his. An unoccupied Auphe rushed toward him while the ones holding me shoved me back toward the gate once again. My fingers slipped from his. "Cal!" I screamed, but I was already in Tumulus, home of the remaining Auphe, and no one could hear my cries there.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

A year had passed since I had been transported to Tumulus.

A year had passed since my torture had begun again.

Yet only two weeks had passed since I had begun to remember my past, a past that I would gladly forget again if I could.

I found that I couldn't forget now, though, so I opted to use my memories to help get me out of Tumulus.

I had raised hell down there only minutes ago, then I opened my own gate and snuck back to Earth, popping back up in the alley I had appeared in the first time. I had stolen myself some clothes from a nearby store and glanced in a mirror, since I had come back naked again, and now, instead of trying to find myself some food or something, which I really needed, I was debating on whether to locate the two Leandros brothers or not.

I was heading for their apartment now, so what I had chosen to do is pretty obvious.

It was about four o'clock in the morning, and every noise that echoed out of the shadowed alleys around me made me jump. You never knew who could be hiding in some of those shadows...Who, or what.

A few minutes passed, and soon, I found myself staring at the front door of my destination. Uncertainty filled me once more.

I had...changed since they had last seen me, and it wasn't for the better. I could still remember how sweet I had looked shortly after Promise had found me. My reflection in her bathroom mirror had been that of a battered, but innocent and cute girl. Looking in the mirror at that store had shown a different girl. She was more battered, more scarred, more dangerous. Innocence and sweetness had left her, being replaced by rage and coldness. This new girl was a fighter, too, not some fear-filled weakling who couldn't stand up for herself unless she snapped.

I'd gone from harmless chick to born killer, mainly because my recently returned memories were filled with vicious battles against numerous Auphe. I wasn't some docile toy that they hit just for fun.

I was a pissed off bitch that they were turning into a weapon.

I knew Cal had been attracted to me before because he knew I was just like him...A half-Auphe who was more human than monster.

What would he think now that I had become different from him? A half-Auphe that was more monster than human?

That was why I couldn't seem to bring myself to knock on this door and let the Leandros brothers know of my presence. I thought they'd hate me now that I was some scary, Auphe-made weapon.

I stared at the door for several minutes before I realized that what the Auphe were planning was more important than my own petty problems. Hesitantly, I reached up and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Cal asked from the other side of the door, sounding distracted.

"It's me," I called back. "The half-Auphe you named Isabella."

I could hear all of those locks being pretty much ripped open, then the door flew open and I found Cal staring at me with wide eyes. He looked as if he hadn't slept very well since I was kidnapped, but the surprise and joy that showed in his eyes obviously overpowered his tiredness.

"Isa-Isabella..." he stammered softly, simply staring at me. I looked at the floor at his feet. The next thing I knew, I was being slowly suffocated in one hell of a hug. "Isabella!" He released me, beginning to ask my stunned self tons of questions. "Are you okay? Where were you? What did they do to you? Why did they take you? Are you okay?!"

"You asked that one already," I stated, still a bit weirded out after that hug. Before he could say anything else, I glanced around. "Where's Niko?"

"He's out waiting for you. Has been since you left. I wanted to do it, but he told me to wait here for you in case you turned up somewhere else and decided to come back here."

"How long have I been gone?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Almost a day."

My eyes closed, though I barely noticed it. "Oh...I forgot that time is different there..."

"Yeah...So...are you okay?" Caliban asked for the third time.

I slowly opened my eyes. "As okay as I can be, I suppose, but we need to get to where your brother is."

"Why?"

I turned and began walking away. "You said he was waiting where I had been taken?"

"Why?"

"That was an alley by the park, right?"

Cal's hand closed around my arm, jerking me to a stop as he asked more forcefully, "Why?!"

I looked down at the floor sadly and pulled my arm from his grasp, surprised at how quickly he let go. "Because they might be coming for us soon, and..." I began to walk again, my pace a bit slower than before. "I don't think I can protect you by myself."

"You don't need to protect me," Cal stated, his voice just as soft as mine had been. "I should be the one protecting you."

"Why? Because I'm a female?"

"Partially." When I sent him a glare, he said, "I don't think you're too weak to defend yourself or anything, I just...think it would make more sense for me to be the one doing the protecting."

"That didn't help," I told him simply. "But if that's only part of the reason, what's the rest of it?"

"You just spent about a year being tortured in Tumulus, right? Probably fighting to try to keep them away from you, even though you knew it wouldn't do you any good?"

I nodded slowly, not really getting where he was going with this. "Yes, but-"

"After going through that, I don't think you should have to fight anymore. Not so soon, anyway."

My eyes widened and immediately darted to his face again. "Oh..." Five seconds later, he was the one who was being weirded out by hugs. "Thank you, Cal. But fighting is...my purpose, the reason I was created. Most of what I just went through was more training, so I'm more ready to fight now, if anything."

"Oh..." His arms slowly went around me, his embrace far more gentle than my frantic, emotional hold. "You...remember everything, then?"

I nodded slowly, my eyes closing once again as I grimaced. "Yes. Everything."

"How bad was it?"

"Horrible. Terrible. Nightmarish. But because of all of it, I could probably kick your brother's ass, and from what I hear, that makes me pretty damn strong."

"What do you mean?" Cal asked, obviously confused.

I let go of him and stepped back, gazing up at him with tired red eyes. "They've been turning me into a weapon, Caliban, and they've been doing a damn good job." I turned and began walking again. "Let's just go."

Without a word, Cal followed.

-

"Isabella," Niko said calmly when he saw me. He was leaning against the wall of the alley, and he had been staring at the exact spot I had vanished from before he had noticed Cal and me walking toward him. "Where did you come from?"

"I reappeared in the alley I had first turned up in, if that's what you're asking," I told him, easily copying his calm. "By the way, I've remembered everything, and I don't actually have a name. You can call me by my number if you think it better suits me now that I'm a freaking monster, though."

"You're not a mo-"

I held up a hand, cutting Cal off instantly. "Were you not listening when I told you what I am, Cal?" I asked softly while allowing my gaze to drop to the ground.

"Just because they want you to be some sort of weapon doesn't mean you really are a weapon. And if you think you're a weapon, I would have to say that Niko's one, too. He's not a monster, though. Not at all. And neither are you."

"He's not something the Auphe want to use for their own evil purposes, Caliban."

"What are their evil purposes?" Niko questioned, still all nice and calm.

"Honestly, I don't know. All I managed to pick up while I was...gone was that Cal and I are needed for something. Whether I'm still supposed to be just a weapon in their plot, I have no idea, but either way, it can't be good."

"You don't want to help them, though, do you?"

"No, of course not."

"Good. Then you aren't a monster."

"But-"

"You are not a monster."

I sighed angrily. "Niko, I-"

"You are not a monster," the male repeated slowly, as if it would help me better understand what he was saying.

I opened my mouth to argue, but something had my Auphey senses tingling before I could say anything. I groaned, "Why the hell can't they just leave me alone?" As soon as those words left my mouth, an Auphe leapt off of the rooftop directly above me, moving silently, like it actually thought it was sneaking up on me.

Both Niko and Cal moved to grab the weapons they undoubtedly had hidden on them, but I already had my nails sharpened to the point of resembling claws and heading right for the falling Auphe. I jumped up to meet the bastard halfway, slicing through his throat with ease. He hit the ground, still alive, but I landed beside him and changed that in an instant. Barely getting any yuckiness on me, I tore the thing's head from its body, then I quickly stood and turned to face the brothers again.

Cal didn't seem to like the sight of my glowing eyes, so I closed them until they and my nails went back to normal. Niko seemed unperturbed by the entire event, though.

"There," I stated while opening my eyes, which had stopped glowing. I hoped... "Still think I'm not a monster?" I let my eyebrows raise for a moment, then I turned and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Cal asked, following me.

"Back to your apartment. That took a lot out of me, and I don't..." I stumbled slightly, blinking rapidly as I tried to clear my suddenly blurring vision. "I don't think I can..." When I found myself leaning against the wall and panting, barely able to keep myself upright, I decided to change my chosen sentence from 'I don't think I can keep myself standing for much longer' to what I said next. "I don't think I can make it." And with that, I collapsed, consciousness leaving me as I fell.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Author's Note: I apologize in advance for any moments in which characters may get a bit out of character. I know I suck at making them all act like they should, so...sorry! Feel free to yell at me for it! But try to enjoy the story, anyway! Thank you and have a nice day!

* * *

"No!" I cried suddenly, awaking from a fitful sleep as I sat up. I looked around with wide red eyes, panting as I studied my surroundings. I was in Cal's room, which was somewhat familiar territory, but that didn't help to make my body stop shaking, nor did it do anything to soothe me. I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face in them. I squeezed my eyes shut and whispered, "No. Stop it." I put my hands over my ears even though I knew it would do nothing to stop the memories that were running through my mind. "Stop it!"

"Isabella?" Goodfellow asked quietly as he opened the door and peeked into the room. When he saw the way I was sitting, he questioned, "Are you all right?"

"No," I answered simply. "Never was, never can be, and never will be."

The puck sighed. "Well, aren't you just a pleasant little ray of sunshine?"

"Fuck off. I just escaped from Tumulus. How pleasant did you expect me to be?" I got to my feet as I said this, sending Goodfellow a slight glare.

He just shook his head and turned. "There are some pancakes waiting for you in the kitchen, if you'd like to eat instead of feel sorry for yourself." He then walked away from the room, and I followed him, smiling wryly. Somehow, I knew he knew that I didn't care for pity, no matter how sorry I seemed to feel for myself.

"Can I try to use a butter knife to cut myself? It'll match my whole stupid bitch emo thing."

"Nah. Niko and Cal would get mad at me if they walked in and saw that," Goodfellow answered, now leading me to the kitchen, where there was one lonely plate of pancakes waiting for me.

"Yeah...Where are Niko and Cal, anyway?" I asked as I sat down in the chair in front of the food, immediately beginning to work on devouring them...without butter or syrup or anything. I was hungry, damn it, and I didn't know if I would last long enough to properly prepare my meal.

"I'm not sure, actually. All I know is that I'm supposed to make sure you're still alive and well when they get back," the puck answered with a shrug, leaning against a counter, crossing his arms, and watching me eat.

"Well, you're doing a good job so far."

"I know."

"So modest..." I cocked my head suddenly and asked, "What time is it?"

"Almost noon."

"So that's why these pancakes are cold..." The front door opened a moment after I said this, and soon, Niko and Cal were entering the kitchen, the older of the two carrying a white bag.

"You should have had that door locked," Niko told Goodfellow.

"Why? Do you honestly think some Auphe are just going to walk in the front door in the middle of the day?"

"Not Auphe. Something else could have easily gotten in, though."

"And I would've nonchalantly murdered them and used their blood as syrup on my ice cold pancakes," I decided to calmly interject. "It would have been magical."

The looks I got for that statement were priceless. Well, except for Niko's...His expression didn't really change much. Goodfellow and Cal seemed to be a bit stunned, though.

My amusement vanished when a strange thought entered my mind.

I cocked my head at my arm, then I turned my gaze to the half-eaten pancake I was currently holding. A moment later, I used a single nail to cut my wrist open, letting the blood drip slowly onto the pancake. Once I decided that a suitable amount of the red substance had been drizzled on my food, I took a bite, my head tilting the other way thoughtfully. I then made a face.

"Maybe if the pancake wasn't cold," I mumbled while putting the bloody pancake down on my plate and picking up another one. I ate this one without anything on it.

"That was...interesting," Goodfellow commented after a few seconds.

"Indeed," I agreed with a nod, quickly licking some blood away from the cut on my arm before finishing my pancake. "Slightly disturbing, too, I imagine."

"Only slightly," Niko said with a nod of his own. It was only then that I realized that Caliban was nowhere in sight.

"Where'd Cal go?"

"His room," was the older Leandros brother's answer.

"Oh." I stared at Niko for a few seconds, then I got to my feet with one lonely pancake in my hand and headed to Caliban's bedroom. "Oh, God," I said loudly when I entered the room through the open door, instantly covering my eyes. The pancake did not make this an easy task. "Put your clothes on!" But, even as I said this, I was peeking at him through a gap between my fingers, enjoying my view of his black boxer-clad ass.

"Don't you know how to knock?" the male asked rather bitchily, sliding a pair of jeans on. I pouted, but fought the urge to tell him to take his pants off again.

"Don't you know how to close a door?" I retorted, easily matching his bitchiness. I uncovered my eyes when he merely grunted and began to put a shirt on. He turned to face me after a moment, and I threw the pancake at his face while saying brightly, "Here, love. I brought you a pancake."

He let the thing slam into his nose, then watched it fall to the floor silently. "Well...thanks," he said as he looked at me again, seeming ever so slightly confused now.

I nodded casually and said, "Any time."

We lapsed into an awkward silence at that point. I stared at him and he stared at me, neither of us knowing what the hell to say.

After almost a minute, I decided to ask, "So...where were you?"

"Some weird store with a lot of lotions and sprays and...stuff." He made a face. "That's why I had to change my clothes. I smelled like a girl."

"Oh. Why'd you have to go there?"

"Something for Promise. Niko tricked me into going. We got you something, too, by the way."

"Oooh. What?" I asked, curious.

"Go find out. Niko has everything," Cal answered with a shrug as he left the room. I followed him, cocking my head thoughtfully.

"What did you get me?" I asked the moment I found myself in the kitchen, where Niko and Goodfellow still stood. The small bag Niko had been carrying was laying on the table now.

"This," the man said as he pulled a bottle out of the bag and held it out to me. I cocked an eyebrow while I took it.

The bottle was small and filled with a pinkish substance. The lable said it was some sort of passion fruit body spray. I opened it and smelled it, my head tilting thoughtfully once more.

"I'm not sure whether to thank you and let it end there or thank you and ask you whether you're insulting me with this." I closed the bottle once I was done taking in the delicious scent, turning my attention to Niko as I spoke.

The blond shrugged. "Don't ask me. Cal was the one who said you needed it."

Now I turned to the younger Leandros brother, arching an eyebrow once more. He already looked guilty. "I thought you said he forced you to go because he needed to get things for Promise?"

"I...uh..." he stammered, unable to think of a way to save himself, apparently.

"He told me earlier that you smelled odd to him," Niko told me.

"Oh, yeah," Goodfellow agreed. "Something about how your scent made him feel...strange." He smirked when he noticed Cal's somewhat embarrassed expression.

"Strange?" I said questioningly, trying to sound as innocently curious as I possibly could. "Why, what do you mean by _strange_?"

"Nothing," the boy answered quickly, taking a few steps backward, away from me.

"Riiight." A sudden thought hit me, and I cocked my head. "Did I do this to you before I was taken, too, or is it just happening now?"

"Just now. Before, everything was normal."

My brow furrowed as I dropped my red-eyed gaze to the floor. "They must have done something to me, then...or maybe it's just because I'm back to normal now..."

"It could be both," Niko suggested.

"Or neither," Goodfellow added.

"How?" I asked, now turning to him.

"Maybe you haven't changed at all," the puck said with a shrug. "Maybe it's Cal."

"But...it's only been a day, hasn't it?" I questioned. "He couldn't have changed this drastically this fast."

He shrugged again. "It was only a thought. You're probably the one who's changed."

I nodded. "Do you think it was natural or Auphe-caused?"

"I'm not sure." He cocked his head, looking me over thoughtfully. "Did the Auphe act differently around you once you regained your memory?"

I looked down at the floor as I thought for a moment, then I looked back up with a shake of my head. "No. They seemed to act the same, and they never mentioned feeling strange or anything."

Goodfellow nodded. "They probably did something to you, then. Something that would make Cal react to you this way."

My eyes widened, a new string of thoughts entering my head. "So I didn't actually _escape. _They just let me go." I snapped my fingers and glared at the ground. "I _knew _getting away was too easy. I'd been left completely alone, which had never happened before, and none of the bastards even tried to stop me when they saw me leaving. Why the hell didn't I add all of this up before?!"

"There's just one question left to ask," Niko stated, interrupting my self-scolding.

"And what would that be, Nik?" Caliban asked.

"Why would they want to do any of this? What purpose does making you feel...strange serve?"

"Another good question to ask would be how they managed to cause any of this in the first place," Goodfellow stated.

"And what exactly this _strange_ feeling is," I added with a smirk that made Cal look at his feet.

Niko merely shook his head. "Those aren't as important quite yet...or at all, Isabella," he said pointedly. I glanced downward as if I'd been chastised, and the older Leandros brother continued. "What we need to figure out now is what the Auphe are planning."

"And how are we going to go about finding this out, Niko?" Goodfellow asked, cocking an eyebrow at Niko.

"Do you think George would be able to help?" Caliban asked, looking away from his feet to send a questioning glance his sibling's way.

"Possibly," Niko answered with a brief nod.

I arched an eyebrow, looking from one brother to the other. "Who's George?"

"You'll see," Caliban answered. "Go get yourself cleaned up and we'll go visit her."

I glanced down at myself and made a face, having forgotten that I was still a bit dirty from last night. "All right," I said as I headed toward the bathroom, unable to make my disgusted expression go away.

"Don't forget to put some of that spray on, too," Cal called after me just before I closed the door.

I smiled wickedly, though my tone remained sweet as I said, "Yes, sir." I put the bottle of pink liquid on the edge of the sink and turned my evil grin to it. "Sorry, my fruit-scented friend, but I don't think I'm ever going to be nice enough to use you." And with that, I stripped and stepped into the shower, needing to get all the yuckiness off of me before I had to give it another disgusted look. After all, I wouldn't have wanted my face to get stuck that way. I needed to look pretty for things.


End file.
